


Presence

by Lintilla



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Divorce, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-26
Updated: 2011-12-10
Packaged: 2017-10-26 13:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/283887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lintilla/pseuds/Lintilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Librarian Ianto Jones' marriage is coming to an end when he notices that his wife, Gwen, may be involved with her boss, Jack Harkness. Intrigued by the man, Ianto does some research on him and finds out he's been living in Cardiff for over 100 years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ianto Jones sat in his car and gazed at his wedding ring. The simple gold band reflected the bright morning sun giving the little piece of jewelry a seeming happiness that it had not held for a long time. It was their anniversary and he supposed today was a good as any to try one last attempt to heal their flailing union. He was not sure what building Gwen worked at but he knew it was by the Plass, so he parked and waited for her to emerge. He had flowers ready and reservations at their favorite restaurant for a surprise luncheon.

When she did come out, it was from a dingy looking tourist center. Ianto started to open the door but stopped when he saw that she was not alone. Linking arms with her was a tall, handsome man in a large military coat. The way Gwen gazed at him and smiled, Ianto could tell it was probably her new boyfriend. It did not seem appropriate to interrupt their moment by reminding her that she did indeed have a husband. Instead, he cancelled the reservations and went back to the library, giving the flowers to the elderly woman who worked at the front counter.

She smiled and cooed, "Why thank you, Gavin. You're such a nice lad."

He had worked there three years and the old lady still could not remember his name, but he had given up on that happening after the first week. Descending the ancient stairs to the large storage room, Ianto went about working on his continuing project: converting the old city records into a digital format. As he worked, he thought back to Gwen and her new beau; something about him seemed oddly familiar. After several minutes of rummaging through his mental database, he remembered where he had seen him.

Sorting through his nearly digitized archive of spring of 1957, he pulled up a photo taken near the bay and there he was. The man looked exactly the same as the one he had seen earlier down to the stylish hair and distinctive coat.

At nearly 9:00 pm, Gwen came home to find her favorite chocolates and a small rectangular box with a red ribbon tied around it. Ianto was sitting on the sofa reading and paid no attention to her arrival. When Gwen opened the present, she gasped upon seeing a stunning diamond tennis bracelet and called out excitedly, "Ianto, this is beautiful! What's the occasion?"

Ianto rolled his eyes as he stood and headed toward the bedroom. On his way he stopped and coldly kissed Gwen's cheek before softly replying, "Happy anniversary," then walking into the next room and loudly shutting the door.

* * *

Jack Harkness sat at his computer and was surprised to find a message waiting for him: he had been tagged. In order to keep tabs on anyone researching him and Torchwood, Jack had Toshiko develop a system that flagged any related searches being performed in the city. Jack found he was being searched by the archivist at the city library who had been tackling a rather ambitious project of digitizing the old records. The man had found a particularly telling photo of Jack from 1957 depicting him wearing his usual coat. Jack sighed; he thought he had collected all the official pictures of him but apparently not. He was going to have to pay Ianto Jones a visit.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto was busy at work in the library's basement but not on his archival project. He was working on Project Harkness, his secret research into the seemingly ageless leader of a shadow organization called Torchwood. Despite being married to one of their operatives, he knew so little about the group that he had assumed they were a branch of the police at least that was what Gwen led him to believe. What currently bothered him was the short life span of the group's employees, usually they never lived past 35; the exception being Jack Harkness. As far as Ianto could guess, Harkness was at least 140. Ianto wondered if Gwen knew what she had become involved in.

While studying the original 1957 photo that started everything, Ianto heard a voice behind him, "That's such an unflattering picture; in real life, I'm so much better looking."

Ianto jumped out of his chair and spun around to find himself face to face with a grinning Jack Harkness. "I'm impressed. I thought it would be decades before anyone would sort through these records."

His heart raced as the dashingly handsome man met his gaze and held it for what seemed like hours. Ianto finally cleared his throat and slipped back into his regular impassive expression, "It's nice to have my work appreciated."

Jack ran his eyes over Ianto's body and smirked, "It's not just your work I appreciate."

Ianto found himself blushing as he replied, "Careful sir, you're harassing a public employee."

"Sir? I like that," Jack purred as he slowly inspected the archives, "So tell me what you know about me."

"Well . . . you were officially born in 1970, 1957, 1948, 1931, 1902, 1884, and 1865. You officially died 28 times, unofficially 74 times, and been declared missing 39 times. You've been married five times and arrested for sodomy an impressive 14 times. There are also charges of larceny, grand theft auto, robbery, assault, arson, fraud, solicitation, murder, and public nudity." Jack grinned wolfishly as Ianto continued, "You are the current head of Torchwood Cardiff and acting senior member of the organization after their base in London was destroyed. You have three employees: Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, and . . . Gwen Cooper. You recently were involved in the apprehension of a village of cannibals in the Brecon Beacons."

Jack's pulse quickened as the young man continued speaking. Suddenly their gazes met and he found himself nearly lost in Ianto's searing blue eyes. There was a moment's pause and Ianto licked his lips before continuing in a lower voice, "On a personal level, you enjoy aged Scotch and French cuisine. You like flashy cars with poor gas mileage and drive like a maniac. You still wear your RAF coat despite not having served for over 60 years and like to be referred to as _Captain_. You prefer your lovers to have dark hair and Welsh accents but you're not particularly choosey. Despite your frequent romantic encounters you only have two living relatives: a daughter and grandson; however, they had their names changed and have severed all ties. You're currently alone and living somewhere within your base near the bay."

Jack was stunned and stared at Ianto as the young man waited for a response. After several minutes, he finally shook his head and asked, "Would you like a job?"

* * *

When Gwen woke, Ianto was long gone. Ianto leaving in a silent huff had happened before but this was the first time he had packed a bag with a significant amount of personal items. He left no note but his message was completely obvious from the way he placed his wedding ring directly in the middle of the immaculately clean kitchen counter. Gwen sighed; she hated when Ianto overreacted to things. His prissiness was one of the many reasons she frequently sought more manly company. She wondered how many days he would brood at his sister's house before crawling home. At least in the meantime she could spend some more time with Jack as she knew they were getting close to something physical. The one thing she did lament was going without his fantastic coffee.

To her supreme disappointment Jack was gone most of the day saying he had a personal matter to address so that left Gwen going out on a mission with Owen. Since she ended their affair, things had been awkward. Whenever she would be trying to make a serious point about morality, Owen would childishly bring up their fling and make sure to mention the term _adultery_. She worked very hard to separate her work and private life and lamented the fact that the team even knew she was married. Whenever Jack would tell her to go home to her husband, she would cringe and pine for her single life. In many ways, Gwen supposed that Ianto leaving was for the best and perhaps he would actually stay away.

It was early evening as Gwen and Owen were returning to the Hub. Her curiosity into Jack's _personal_ project was eating away at her as she asked, "What do suppose Jack is up to?"

Owen glanced at Gwen with a smirk, "Probably a romantic tryst."

Gwen's eyes widened momentarily allowing Owen the pleasure of catching her intentions again.

"Do you think?" Gwen asked.

Owen sighed, "He probably went to the dentist or something. Teeth like that probably require extensive upkeep."

As they entered the Hub, they were immediately greeted by the aroma of fresh coffee. Owen bolted over to the machine and exclaimed, "Tosh! You finally got this thing working? Brilliant!"

Gwen fixed a cup and sipped the strangely familiar drink as Tosh spoke from her workstation, "It wasn't me."

Gwen's face fell as she realized where she knew that coffee from.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack glanced at his watch; Ianto had been staring at Janet for two minutes. For the life of him, he could not read the young man's expression and quietly reminded himself never to play poker with him. Usually, people show some emotion when confronted with an alien for the first time, but Ianto Jones was taking it in as a normal part of the building tour. He finally spoke after another minute of staring, "Where did she get those scars?"

Jack leaned in closer and asked, "Where?"

Ianto pointed to her neck, "On the side behind her ears. They look self-inflicted."

"I'm not sure, I'll have Owen take a look at them," Jack answered, ashamed that he was coming across as negligent. Since he had brought Ianto to the Hub, Jack had been waiting for some sign that he was impressed but Ianto seemed to be analyzing rather than gazing in wonder.

"Owen?" Ianto asked with a sudden interest.

"Owen Harper, our doctor. He's rough around the edges but damn good at his job."

Ianto nodded as he turned away from the cell and changed the subject, "You might as well show me these archives of yours. I need to know how bad they really are."

Jack led the way down to the ancient stairwell, "They're not terrible but I'd like them digitized. We have a pretty high turnaround of employment so we rarely get the luxury of a long term archivist. I'm no professional but I try to keep things organized."

Ianto finally showed emotion when confronted with the archives but it was not what Jack was hoping for.

"Bloody hell," Ianto said softly in shock.

"They're not that bad," Jack tried to explain but was silenced by Ianto's raised eyebrow.

With bated breath, Jack watched as Ianto perused the vast collection of documents and artifacts, taking mental stock of the work that would have to be done. After several minutes, he finally turned and addressed Jack, "I have to say I'm surprised you would ask me to do this but I'm impressed that you recognize the need. It's refreshingly professional."

"We could certainly use more professionalism around here and you seem like a man that can keep a secret." Jack was thrilled to finally have Ianto's approval and concluded that asking him on a date that evening may undermine his newly sought _professional_ demeanor. He decided that he would have to wait for a more opportune moment.

"If I decide to take the job, I'm going to need your assistance rather frequently because I don't even recognize what most of this is," Ianto said with another unreadable expression.

"I'm at your disposal," Jack grinned slightly as he continued. "You can have me 24/7 if you'd like."

At that, Ianto blushed and stammered, "Good to know you're available."

Jack leaned in and lowered his voice, "For you? Anytime."

Ianto backed away and quickly asked, "Do you have any coffee?"

Jack could not help smirking at Ianto's adorable reaction as he answered, "I don't know if anyone has picked any up today."

"You don't make your own?"

"Well we have a machine but no one can seem to work it."

Ianto seemed to brighten as he responded, "Show it to me; I seem to have a way with coffee machines."

After taking his first sip of the coffee that Ianto somehow miraculously produced from the ancient appliance, Jack let out a deep sigh, "Ianto Jones, you are coming to work here and I am not taking no for an answer."

Ianto nodded his head slowly and then replied, "On one condition."

"Anything."

"Tell me who you are."

"Ianto, you know more about me than I do about you, and that's an unusual situation," Jack answered with growing unease.

Ianto took a step closer to Jack and looked him directly in the eyes, "I know some very confusing facts about you, but I want to know who you _really_ are. I've never met anyone like you."

Jack's breath caught in his throat as he stood, transfixed by the young man's beauty and spirit. "I-I have some paperwork in my office . . ." Jack sputtered with uncharacteristic ineloquence.

"How about a deal? Every day I work for you, you have to tell me one thing about yourself that I couldn't find in my research."

Jack stared for another moment before he smiled and responded, "Deal. What do you say we get this in writing?"


	4. Chapter 4

After another sip of her coffee that only increased her worries, the door to Jack's office opened and the captain emerged with a big grin on his face. Ianto followed behind him and when he met Gwen's gaze, he continued on with that blank look she had come to hate so much. With her rage boiling over, Gwen shouted, "What the fuck is going on Jack?"

Taken aback, Jack responded, "This is Ianto Jones. I've just hired him as our new archivist."

"How dare you! I asked one thing and that was to stay out of my private life; now you go and pull something like this?"

Jack looked between them, confused. "Do you two know each other?"

"Don't be daft. Do you expect me to believe that you hired my husband by accident?"

Jack's eyes widened as he turned to Ianto, "Husband?"

Ianto lowered his head and answered in a soft voice, "I thought you knew."

A tense silence filled the room that was finally broken by Owen snickering, " _This_ is your husband?"

Gwen shot back a murderous glare, "What about it?"

Owen continued to laugh, "Nothing. He's just nothing like how I pictured him. If you're married, how come he isn't wearing a wedding ring?"

Gwen looked away, embarrassed but Jack stared at Ianto expecting him to answer Owen's question. In the most diplomatic manner possible, Ianto replied, "We're separated."

"That makes sense," Owen added.

"Shut it, Owen!" Gwen commanded before turning to Jack, "He's not staying."

Owen kept up his teasing, "Why not? If he's good enough to get Jack's attention then he should stay. Who knows, perhaps you two can reconcile?"

Gwen fumed, "Jack, we need to talk about this in private."

Jack, still stunned, answered, "Yes, follow me to the boardroom."

Once Jack and Gwen left the room, Ianto found himself alone with Tosh and Owen. Tosh was visibly uncomfortable with the situation and could only give the young man a sympathetic smile, but Owen was unabashedly looking him up and down. After a few minutes of staring, Owen took a seat at his station and sipped his coffee, "Did you really make this?"

Ianto nodded, "Coffee is kind of a specialty of mine."

Owen grinned in approval, "What else can you do?"

"I notice things."

"Like what?"

"Your weevil, Janet, is hurting herself."

With curiosity, Owen pulled up the CCTV on Janet's cell. Ianto directed him to zoom the lens and pointed out the fresh scars on her head. He then had Owen fast forward through the day's footage. Soon he stopped him, "There! Something's upsetting her."

On the screen, the creature was grasping desperately with her hands to cover her head. Ianto helped Owen go through other days and find similar behavior. He then cross checked those events with what else was happening in the Hub. Ianto called, "Toshiko, would you mind going out the cog door and coming back in?"

Tosh, who had become interested in what they were doing, quickly agreed. Ianto and Owen watched the monitor closely and when the cog door alarm sounded, Janet wailed and scratched at her head. Owen turned in his chair and gazed at Ianto intently, "Very impressive, Mr. Jones."

* * *

Gwen paced the room furiously as she spoke, "He can't work here; he's not qualified!"

Jack, who was sitting at the table, answered, "He's plenty qualified and we're in desperate need of an archivist especially since we took on so much of London's materials."

"That's not it. He's delicate; he can't handle such a crazy environment."

Jack chuckled, earning him another glare from Gwen, "I've only known him a day but he is anything but delicate. I've never seen anyone so accepting and so inquisitive."

Gwen scowled and tried another tactic, "It's not professional! I can't concentrate if I have to worry about him."

"It's not like he's going into the field; he'll be mostly taking care of the Hub. When did you separate?"

Gwen crossed her arms, "He moved out last night. It was our anniversary and I forgot about it."

"OK, so you've been working too much. Maybe if you two are around each other more, things will work out. He's a reasonable man; he'll forgive you if you ask."

Gwen stopped her pacing and was quiet for a minute. She could feel the same horrible sensation as when Jack would tell her to _go home to your husband_. Softly, she announced her decision, "I want him retconned."

"Gwen, he understands you now. Do you really want to take that away?"

"He needs to go back to his life and I need to continue with mine," Gwen said as she sat down next to Jack. "Do you really want to see him and me together all day? Wouldn't that bother you?"

Jack thought for a moment of Ianto's blue eyes and the way they stared straight into him, trying to find the human that he hid away. Softly, he replied, "Yes, I 'spose it would."

Gwen sighed in relief, "Good, then we're agreed: we're retconning Ianto."

"Oh, no we're not." Jack and Gwen turned their heads to see Owen standing in the doorway, "We're keeping him."

"This is none of your business, Owen!" Gwen shouted angrily.

"It is now. Jack, you cannot bring around a super intelligent bloke who makes the best cup of coffee in the world only to take him away because it makes Gwen uncomfortable. He's staying."

Gwen stood and faced the smug looking Owen, "He's still my husband and I decide what happens to him. I'm retconning him and that's final."

"Where exactly will you be finding this retcon? I'm the medical officer and have ultimate control over what drugs are distributed."

While Owen and Gwen continued arguing Jack slunk back in his chair, torn about his feelings for a man he only just met. As if he had summoned him, Ianto silently walked into the room and almost like a butler set a fresh cup of coffee in front of Jack. With an appreciative smile, Jack gazed up at him and nodded his thanks. Ianto then interrupted Gwen and Owen, "It doesn't work on me."

Gwen jumped slightly at his sudden appearance and cursed how quietly he moved, "What are you on about?"

"The drug you're talking about, retcon, it doesn't work on me," Ianto continued.

Ianto then proceeded to tell them about the night he arrived home and Gwen was waiting for him with a cup of tea.

 _It was unusual since Gwen hardly ever entered the kitchen let alone make something for Ianto, but he accepted it happily. With unusual apprehension, Gwen watched as he sipped at the Earl Grey and asked, "How's that big project at work? Have you made any progress?"_

 _Ianto was delighted that she remembered and answered, "Not as quickly as I'd like. I hit a snag when the records switched from Welsh to English, but things are starting to get going again."_

 _Gwen nodded, obviously not paying attention and when Ianto stopped speaking, she started, "I'm sorry that I haven't been 'round much. This new job has been insane, but it's important work."_

" _It would have to be. I thought being a police officer was your life."_

" _I still am but it's special ops. I may not wear the uniform but I'm still protecting this city. We can't all sit in a library our whole lives sorting through moldy old books."_

 _Ianto raised an eyebrow at her insult making her backtrack, "I'm sorry; that was out of line. What I wanted to talk about was this bloke at work, Owen."_

 _As Gwen spoke, Ianto noticed his vision beginning to blur._

" _. . . We only did it for a few weeks. It was a mistake . . ."_

 _Ianto began to have trouble sitting up and weakly asked, "What was in that tea?"_

" _It's retcon; we use it at work. This has been eating away at me Ianto. Even though we've ended it, Owen keeps harping that I'm bad for doing it, for cheating. Tell me I'm that you forgive me, Cariad. Tell me I'm a good person."_

 _Just as Ianto lost consciousness, he gazed back at Gwen and whispered, "Go to hell."_

Jack, Owen, and Gwen stared at him in silence before Gwen asked in a small voice, "You remembered?"

"Yes, I did. So it was supposed to wipe my memory?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What was there to say? It's not like it was the first time."

Owen let out a low whistle, "That's amazing. The incident rate for retcon immunity is . . ."

"1 in 1000," Jack finished and then stood with a flash of anger in his eyes. "Gwen, you used retcon on a civilian? After everything that happened with Suzy, you used retcon for your own purposes?"

Gwen was shocked at Jack's anger as she sputtered, "It was only the one time and it was a small dose, so I thought-"

She was interrupted by Ianto, "Look, I've already signed the contract and I'm ready to start, but if I'm really not wanted here, I can leave. In the end, I'll do what you want, Jack." Ianto stood in front of Jack and gazed at him intently, "Do you want me to stay?"

Jack returned Ianto's gaze and felt his heart racing. Reaching out to gently clasp Ianto's shoulder, Jack replied, "Yes, please stay."


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you staying at your sister's?" Gwen asked Ianto.

After Jack decided that Ianto would stay at Torchwood, Gwen stormed out of the Hub to try gathering her thoughts. No matter how many times she looked at it, she could not understand why Jack wanted Ianto there. She knew Owen was only insisting he stay to torment her for dumping him, but she figured Jack would not want anymore reminders that she was married. Ianto was clearly looking to win her back by proving he was more than a librarian but the fact that he was still doing librarian's work made his attempt all the more pathetic. Deciding that the best approach was to break things off with him completely, Gwen re-entered the Hub and took Ianto aside.

"No, I'm staying with Rhys," Ianto blandly replied.

"Rhys! Why?"

"After you two broke up, he came 'round one evening and took me out for a drink. He told me how sorry he was about the affair and that he never meant to get between us. We started talking afterwards and found out we had a lot in common. We hang out usually once or twice a week. Out of all your boyfriends, I think he's my favorite. He's a nice bloke."

With an exasperated look, Gwen responded, "Ianto, do you have any idea how strange that is? Why are you so bloody weird? I can't believe I used to think that was cute!"

Ianto's expression slipped just slightly before he regained himself and answered softly, "Well, people change, I suppose."

Gwen sighed; he was too easy to hurt. "Since we're stuck together for now, I think it's best that we agree to be civil at work. There's no reason we can't be adults about this and make a clean break. Just promise me that you won't get upset when you see me with someone else."

Unconsciously, Gwen snuck at glance up at Jack's office, a move that did not go unnoticed by Ianto.

"Yes, civility is your saving grace. Don't hold yourself back on my account," Ianto replied and then added with a particularly acidic tone, "It'll be difficult but I'll manage somehow."

Gwen narrowed her eyes at Ianto's snide comment but decided to let it go for the time being. With a curt nod, she turned and walked toward Jack's office, hoping to have some alone time with him to wash away the bitter taste of Ianto's spiteful attitude. As she strode into the office, Jack did not even look from his paperwork, instead commenting, "Making your grand entrance? Just know that I'm not changing my mind."

Gwen perched herself on the edge of Jack's desk as she spoke, "We've reached an agreement and we're going to be professional at work. I don't expect that this is going to be a particularly messy divorce but you never know what'll happen."

"You're getting divorced?" Jack asked, barely able to hide his excitement.

"It's only proper since I have quite strong feelings for someone else," Gwen replied while brushing her leg alongside Jack's.

"Is Ianto seeing anybody?" Jack asked with adorable aloofness.

Gwen laughed at the question, confusing Jack. She explained, "Ianto's not what you'd call  _passionate_. I've never seen him interested in anything less than 100 years old."

"Is that so?" Jack replied with a sly grin.

Mistaking his reaction, Gwen leaned forward, waiting for a kiss. Instead, Jack jumped out of his chair and clapped his hands together, "It's getting late and you've been through quite a shock, so why don't we call it a night. Tell the others to go on home as well. Except, could you send Ianto up? I have a few things I need to go over with him."

Shocked, Gwen quietly left the office, wondering what had just happened.


	6. Chapter 6

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Ianto asked as he peered into Jack's office.

Jack, trying his best to appear casually seductive, had his feet perched on the edge of the desk and was leaning back in his chair. With a bright smile, he replied, "Yes, since this is your first day, you are entitled to your first piece of information about me."

Ianto, who was wearing his usual impassable expression, took a seat in the chair in front of the desk. Jack took his feet off the desk and leaned forward as he lowered his voice, "So what would you like to know?"

Most people, when they found out about Jack's situation, asked about him about dying and resurrection so Jack had plenty of rehearsed answers to give, but he was completely unprepared for what Ianto asked. "Why Cardiff?"

"Pardon?"

"Why have you lived in Cardiff this whole time? Other than your stints in the military, you've spent the vast majority of your life right here. I want to know why. You could go anywhere, do anything but you've chosen this spot in particular. It's as if you're waiting for something."

Jack felt his breath catch as Ianto stared at him unflinchingly. After quickly shrugging off his surprise, Jack jumped up and nervously asked, "Would you like a drink? I have scotch, 15 years old."

"No thank you," Ianto answered politely as Jack poured himself a glass and drank half of it immediately.

Ianto kept looking at him, waiting for an answer making Jack chuckle, "You know, most people ask me why I'm immortal or how I do it."

"I would ask but you don't know the answer to that," Ianto confidently replied.

Jack could feel a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he tried to keep himself calm. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're searching; I can see it in your eyes. People live their lives desperately looking for meaning but ultimately know they're going to die. You know you're not going to die yet you keep searching. You want, no need, to know why." Jack stared with rapt attention as Ianto continued, "It has something to do with Cardiff particularly the Rift. You don't know when it's coming but you think an answer will arrive here some day."

Jack could not decide if he wanted to kick Ianto out of his office or drag him to bed. The young man somehow managed to terrify yet arouse him at the same time. After taking a minute to compose himself, Jack began, "I was abandoned, left on a hellish space station after being killed by Daleks. It was the first time I'd ever died. You're right, I have no clue as to why I came back. The only person who might know was the man that abandoned me. His ship uses the Rift energy as fuel so he's bound to return here eventually. The problem is that he's a time traveler so I have no idea when that might be."

"What's a Dalek?"

"I hope you never have to find out," Jack replied and downed the rest of his scotch.

"What's your friend's name?"

"The Doctor. He's a Timelord, the last of his kind and the most amazing person I've ever met. I was just a petty criminal when I met him, a con only looking out for myself. Within a day of knowing him, I was willing to sacrifice my life to do the right thing, and then he just . . ." Jack stopped, his heart still aching from the memory.

To his surprise, Ianto began speaking, "You try to be the best version of yourself, hoping it's enough to finally get you attention to the point you're living your life for someone else. I used to think that was love, but now I'm not so sure. If it's really love, shouldn't it be enough to be yourself?"

Jack looked up, shocked at Ianto's sentimental words and saw the young man's face wracked with sorrow. An enormous swell of pity rushed through as he realized that while a divorce meant nothing to Gwen, it was eating away at Ianto.

"Do you still love her?" Jack asked.

"Some days I wonder if I ever did. I grew up two houses down from her. She's two years older and even though that isn't much now, it was a lot when I was a kid. I was always so shy and never got on well with the other kids, but Gwen, she'd stick up for me. She always stood for what she thought was right and never let anything get in her way. I asked her out a dozen times when we were teenagers but she always turned me down, saying I was too young. When I got back from uni, I was determined to show her how adult I was. She had just broken up with her boyfriend and agreed to go on a date with me. I asked her to marry me about six weeks later. I don't know why, but she said yes.

I don't think we were married for a year even before she began seeing other blokes. I tried so hard to ignore it, thinking that if she had other men it would make her happy. I never could ignore her boyfriends because they all have this habit of coming and confessing to me, like it was some big mistake. It does my head in having to  _forgive_  a man that's been shagging my wife. In all reality, I didn't mind sharing her as long as I got to be around her. I'm so plain and drab but being with her makes me feel like someone important, someone worth paying attention to."

Jack came around in front of the desk and gently clasped Ianto's hand. Softly, he spoke, "Ianto, I've only known you for a day and I can already tell that you're one of the most extraordinary people I've ever met. I think you've been living in Gwen's shadow for too long."

Ianto gazed up into Jack's eyes and felt his heart pounding wildly. No one had ever looked at him the way Jack was looking at him in that moment. Swiftly, Ianto pulled his hand away and stood, mumbling, "It's late; I need to go."

Jack did not move as Ianto turned to leave, but called after, "Goodnight Ianto."

He could just manage to hear Ianto answer, "Goodnight, sir."


	7. Chapter 7

There was a lull in activity that afternoon leaving Owen the opportunity to roll his chair toward Gwen and ask, "Plans for tonight or did Jack shoot you down again?"

Gwen scowled in response. Earlier that day she had tried convincing Jack to go with her to dinner but he turned her down for the second time that week saying that he had business with Ianto.

" _You've been with Ianto every night since he arrived," Gwen protested._

 _Jack smiled slightly, "Yes, well this project is quite complicated and we have lots to discuss."_

" _You don't have to work yourself to death because he's having trouble adjusting. Why don't you take a night off and enjoy yourself. I can guarantee I'm better company than him anyway," Gwen added while leaning closer to Jack._

" _Hmm, a night out . . ." Jack mumbled to himself, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, he looked up at Gwen and remembered himself, "While that sounds lovely, I'm afraid that Torchwood protocol forbids inter-office dating. I'm sorry but I don't make the rules."_

 _Before Gwen could try anything else, Jack was called away by Tosh who needed his help on a program, leaving Gwen once again confused as to why her advances were not working._

Not wanting to admit she had been rejected again, Gwen answered Owen, "We don't have definite plans but there's talk of dinner tonight."

To her surprise, Owen nodded his head as he replied, "That's good to hear."

Gwen hoped that would be the end of the conversation but Owen continued, "Is Ianto seeing anyone?"

Gwen flinched, remembering Jack asking the same question. Fed up with Owen's teasing, she replied, "No, Ianto's not  _seeing_  anyone."

"What about that bloke he's living with, Rhys?" Owen pressed on.

"No, Rhys is straight and so is Ianto for that matter."

Owen smirked, "Then I guess there's no harm in asking him out for a drink?"

"Since when were you interested in men?"

"I've been known to dabble from time to time, but for someone as gorgeous as Ianto, a little more than dabbling might be in order," Owen answered with a lascivious smile.

Gwen finally snapped, "When will you get it through your thick head? It's over between us! I don't care who or what you date or even if threaten to shag my husband, just leave me alone! You're acting like a pathetic child!"

Unfazed, Owen replied smugly, "In that case, I'll just go ask him out since you have  _plans_  with Jack."

Owen then stood and left a flustered Gwen. Upon entering the archives, Owen took a moment to appreciate Ianto's slim figure and graceful hands that were busing sorting files.

"Look mate, I want to apologize for what happened between Gwen and me. I'm sorry you found about it the way you did."

Ianto rolled his eyes: another apology from one of Gwen's ex-boyfriends. Since he was first and foremost a gentleman, Ianto turned and smiled, "It's alright, happens all the time."

"No, it's not alright. When I was shagging Gwen, her husband was just a hypothetical notion, an extra level of danger, but when I met you, it became real. I'm sorry that I never thought about the other person in this situation. You deserve better."

Touched by the rare show of earnest emotion from Owen, Ianto nodded his head and replied, "Thank you, I appreciate it."

While trying to feign nonchalance, Owen continued, "Listen, Gwen's busy with Jack tonight so how about we go out for a drink?"

There was a slight flinch in his face as Ianto asked, "Jack's with Gwen?"

"Yeah, they're having dinner or something," Owen answered, "Come on, it'll give us a chance to get to know each other outside of the Hub. Since you're down here most of the time I hardly get to see you."

Ianto sighed wondering why he was feeling so terrible about not seeing Jack that night. After a moment of quiet thought, he shrugged his shoulders, "Alright, we'll go somewhere after work."

* * *

It was the end of the day when Ianto sighed and stepped back from the shelf.  _A week's worth of work_ , he thought dejectedly after examining how little progress he had made. At the rate he was going, Ianto estimated it would take years to finish the project. The damp, dungeon-like conditions of the archives had him pining for the basement of the city library and he was not sure how much more he could endure of Gwen's sparring and subsequent flirting with Jack. The only thing that made the job bearable was the time he could spend alone with the Captain, slowly putting together the portrait of his complicated life. As if he had conjured the man, Ianto's thoughts were interrupted by Jack.

"I was thinking that maybe we could go out tonight. Would you like to join me for dinner?" Jack asked while leaning against a shelf. He noticed a brief moment of panic flash over Ianto's face and tried to backtrack, "We've both been working really hard this week, it'd be nice to go out and enjoy ourselves."

Remembering what Owen had told him earlier, Ianto suddenly did not like the idea of sitting through dinner with Gwen fawning over Jack. He also figured that Gwen would be none too happy as she had already warned him to keep his distance. Putting back on his unreadable face, Ianto answered, "I actually have plans tonight so you go out and have a good time."

As Ianto turned back toward the shelves, Jack staggered out of the room, shocked at the rejection.

* * *

Going on 7:00, Ianto emerged from the archives and gathered his things together. After a lingering glance at Jack's office, he left through the cog door with its new, weevil-friendly alarm. Shortly after, Owen stood up from his desk, stretching his arms, "I'm heading off," he announced.

Gwen answered teasingly, "What's the rush? Got a hot date?"

Owen leaned over and whispered, "As a matter of fact, I do . . . with Ianto."

Gwen's eyes nearly bulged out of her head as Owen smugly sauntered through the door. Sitting back in her chair, it took several minutes to realize she had Jack all to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack was halfway through his fourth glass of whiskey when Gwen entered his office. Sidling up to him, she took his drink away and set it on the desk. When Jack moved to pick it up again, she swatted his hand and scolded him, "Your first night off in weeks and you intend to spend it drinking alone?"

"How I spend my evenings is none of your business," Jack answered as he reached into his side drawer and took out a flask.

Gwen sighed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were pouting. No one else feels so confined by these  _no dating_ rules. Look at Owen; he's out there trying to shag my husband. The only reason I'm not overly bothered is that I know he won't get anywhere. They don't come any colder than Ianto."

Panic flashed in Jack's eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't Ianto tell you? He and Owen are out on a date tonight, well Owen's version of a date, which involves a lot of drinking and aggressive fondling. He'll be in for a shock when he finds out that Ianto doesn't get drunk and doesn't respond to flirting," Gwen answered with a laugh.

A wave of sickness washed over Jack's body as he pictured Owen making moves on Ianto. Not paying attention, Gwen carried on, "Since Tosh has gone home for the night, I was thinking that maybe we could grab dinner after all. I know this lovely French place near-"

"You need to leave," Jack interrupted suddenly.

"Pardon?"

Jack stood and began impatiently shooing Gwen out the door as he continued, "I've had too much to drink to be tactful right now, so please just leave."

Gwen tried to protest but was out of the room and facing a slammed door before she could muster anything coherent. Her heart nearly broke at the sight of Jack working so hard to fight his attraction for her.

After kicking Gwen out, Jack paced his office trying to compose himself. He could hardly believe what was happening to him. It had been decades since he had such strong feelings for someone especially someone he had only just met. The gnawing jealousy that was overwhelming his senses made him want to storm out of the Hub and drag Ianto away from Owen's lecherous hands. The only thing stopping him was the fact that Ianto  _chose_ to be with Owen that night instead of him. If he made a jealous scene, he might only push the young man further away.

* * *

"I bet this has to be a first: spending time with your wife's ex-boyfriend?" Owen asked with a sly grin.

"Actually, I'm quite used to it. I'm taking it that this is your first time apologizing for an affair?" Ianto answered ascetically.

"It's just that . . . well, you're so  _different_  than what I expected," Owen responded, finding himself caught off-guard by Ianto's nonchalance.

"What were you expecting?"

Owen took a nervous sip of his pint before replying, "For someone like Gwen? I guess I was picturing a paunchy football fan not a . . ."

"Scrawny bookworm?" Ianto finished with a hint of bitterness.

"No. A gorgeous intellectual with the most mesmerizing blue eyes I've ever seen," Owen responded finally able to knock down Ianto's business-like demeanor. He could barely hide his joy at seeing the young man's face turn red with shock and embarrassment.

Owen gently brushed his foot against Ianto's as he asked, "Has no one ever told you that before?"

Ianto looked down and softly replied, "No."

With growing confidence, Owen continued, "You're acting like you've never been chatted up before. Hasn't Gwen or some ex-girlfriend told you how beautiful you are?"

"N-no, Gwen doesn't say things like that and I've never . . ."

"You've never had another girlfriend?" Owen asked, his gaze growing more lecherous.

"There's only ever been Gwen for me," Ianto replied in a soft voice. "Now that it's over between us, I'm kind of at a loss of what to do with myself."

Owen reached out and gently placed his hand over Ianto's, ghosting a finger over the tan line of his missing wedding band. He began planning the moves it would take to get Ianto back to his flat until Ianto spoke again, "I'm grateful to have Torchwood and Jack to distract me. Jack's amazing; I've never met anyone like him. I see why Gwen likes him so much."

Suddenly the pieces fell together in Owen's mind and he kicked himself for not seeing it earlier. With a reassuring squeeze of the young man's hand, Owen spoke, "You know, I have it on good authority that nothing has actually happened between them. Sure Jack flirts but he's not interested in Gwen."

"You think?" Ianto asked with a sweet hopefulness that made Owen's heart ache.

"Absolutely. Now, how about another round?"

As they were leaving the pub, Ianto's mobile sounded. Owen watched as he reached into his pocket and read the new text. His face lit up into a warm, affectionate smile that Owen had never seen on the young Welshman.

"What's it say?"

Ianto blushed as he stammered, "It's . . . nothing. It's just something from Jack."

Before going their separate ways for the evening, Owen pulled Ianto into a friendly hug. Deciding that it was his last chance to do so, he placed a hand behind Ianto's head and drew him into a lingering kiss. Ianto was tense at first but soon relaxed into Owen's arms as the kiss ended and they rested their foreheads together.

"What was that for?" Ianto asked breathlessly.

"Just a kiss between friends," Owen answered softly.

"No it isn't," Ianto insisted.

Owen pulled back and patted Ianto's shoulder, "Yeah, it is." He then turned to leave and called over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow" as he shook his head, thinking to himself  _Jack is a lucky man._

* * *

Jack's message:

 _I missed you tonight. Here's your daily Harkness trivia: I haven't had sex in 7 years_


End file.
